


Found Family and the Casual Intimacy of Sharing One's Clothes

by roolt



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: 3+1 Things, Big brother figure reggie, Found Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Little brother figure reggie, Panic Attacks, Sharing Clothes, for some parts at least, these two things can and do coexist, this is me pushing my Reggie and Nick become friends agenda bc its my fic and I can do what I want
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-24
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:08:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27691877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roolt/pseuds/roolt
Summary: Reggie was an only child. Technically. He had always wanted to protect those he cared about, but before he died he was the one being protected. Once he comes back as a ghost though, there are so many people he wants to keep safe, and what better way to articulate this than sharing his clothing with those he cared about.-Or,A 3+1 fic about three times Reggie acted like an older brother to the people he cares about and sharing his clothes with them, and the one time he was reminded that there are others who care about him too.
Comments: 5
Kudos: 158





	Found Family and the Casual Intimacy of Sharing One's Clothes

**Author's Note:**

> I just really love Reggie okay. I recently got back into fic writing (not that I was super into it before) and while I do have another fic I should really finish I wanted to do one about Julie and the Phantoms because it is genuinely one of my favorite shows and I love Reggie so much. Small TW, both the third part and the "plus one" include panic attacks so be careful. The "plus one" especially is a bit more intense as it is based on my own experiences and it involves scratching oneself, but not in a way to harm, but a way to itch something that's not actually there. Does that make sense? I hope. Also if you feel I should maybe tag this as something else let me know. Thanks, and enjoy!

Reggie was an only child. He didn't particularly enjoy this fact, especially in his youth when he was much lonelier, but it was the truth. Reggie had always wanted a younger sibling, someone to have on the days his parents were particularly loud, someone that understood what that felt like. Most of all Reggie wanted to be close to someone, to be wanted, to be needed. And in a way, when his family moved to California, he got that. Sure, the band wasn't exactly what he'd always hoped for, they didn't understand the whole situation with his parents to a full extent, but they were people who always wanted him around and enjoyed his company. Sunset Curve were brothers from the day they formed. So he got his wish, at least sort of, but he was the youngest member of Sunset Curve and not the brightest so the other guys tended to treat him as their little brother instead of the older brother he dreamed to be. Who knew death was the way to finally get there?

**1\. Carlos**

Carlos's older sister was in a band with three teenage ghost boys and it was probably the coolest thing ever. Not even just the ghost part though, the guys themselves were genuinely awesome people. He liked Alex because he was funny, and Luke was really nice and cool (though he better stay away from Julie). Carlos's favorite though was Reggie by far. He was goofy and kind and always spent time with Carlos and defended his (completely right) opinions. Julie even told him that before Carlos could even see the guys Reggie was hanging out with him and his dad. 

Keeping this in mind, it should really be no shock that Carlos absolutely idolized Reggie. And if you think someone is as cool as that, it would make sense to want to be just like them. This is why Carlos was currently in the loft when Julie and her band were out at a show that was too late at night for him to go to sifting through bags full of clothes from the 90s. In Carlos's mind, if he wanted to be as cool as Reggie he should first start dressing like him. He wasn't going to take anything major like Reggie's Jacket or Flannel (TM), he just wanted something like a T-Shirt. A T-Shirt he finds in the smallest of the bags of clothing in the loft that he knows is Reggie's because neither of the other guys would wear something as simple as a black T-Shirt. Satisfied with his find Carlos takes the T-Shirt to his room for future use and promptly falls asleep after placing it in his drawer. 

-

It isn't until a couple of days later that he even remembers he has the shirt. And to be honest "remembers" would be a strong word in this situation considering he simply threw on a black T-Shirt he randomly grabbed from his drawer and immediately noticed was way too big for him. Logically, he should've foreseen this as he is not 17 years old or 5'8", but he still wants to wear the shirt so he just tells himself it's a new style, throws on a zip-up hoodie over it, and heads to school.

-

The shirt is comfortable and when he gets home from school that day he decides he wants to keep it for as long as he can. Unfortunately, this seems like it will not be that long as Reggie is hanging out with his dad in the kitchen when he gets home. He freezes in the doorway and honestly considers running but ultimately decides he feels kind of bad for stealing one of the guy's only three shirts, and so he steels himself and enters the kitchen.

"Hey Dad, Reg," he calls when he enters the kitchen, interrupting their animated conversation about who knows what.

Reggie, who was previously facing away from the doorway, spins around to greet Carlos, but as he begins to say "Hey little dude-" he cuts himself off with a quirk of his head. "Is that my T-Shirt?" he asks puzzled.

Carlos scratches the back of his neck nervously. "Yeah I took it, I'm sorry. You could have it ba-"

"No, no, no, it's fine," Reggie cuts him off. "I super flattered, really."

Carlos looks at him sheepishly, "You sure?" he asks.

Reggie nods furiously, "Yes, totally, of course." Carlos lets out a chuckle at that and then leaves to go do his homework. What he doesn't hear, however, is Reggie and Ray's subsequent conversation.

"I think he's always wanted an older brother," Ray posits to Reggie once the two of them go back to doing the dishes.

"What?" Reggie asks frantically.

"I mean, I have no doubt that he absolutely loves Julie, but you know how little boys are," Ray explains, but when Reggie quirks an eyebrow as if to say he doesn't he continues. "I just mean I think it's great he has someone to truly look up to." And if Reggie's eyes well up at that moment, then no one else is to know.

**2\. Julie**

Julie was not having the best day. She was tired and uncomfortable and wanted more than anything to be held in her mother's arms. It is on days like this that Julie will usually rummage through her mother's chest and grab one of her sweaters to cuddle up in and just watch Netflix and cry. Well, that's what she usually does, but today is laundry day and all her mother's old clothes are either dirty or being washed. Instead, Julie pads into the laundry room to go see if there is anything clean she can grab. Folded with some of her brother and dad's clothes Julie spots Reggie's red flannel. Ever since her dad found out about the guys Julie has finally convinced them to let her wash their clothes. The boys' clothes tend to bring her the same familial comfort that her mother's do and while she'd usually wear some combination of all three of their's, Alex's clothes are mostly still in the wash with the lights and she suspects Luke has already been in here to grab his clean clothes to go visit his parents. So, suspecting that none of the guys are really home (Luke, as mentioned, is at his parents', Alex is on a date, and Reggie is wherever Reggie goes) she grabs Reggie's flannel, wraps it around herself, and heads to her room to finish the second two steps of her normal Sad Day routine. This is an oversight, however, and in the future, Julie should really be sure where Reggie is.

Crying to some stupid sad movie on her bed is where Reggie finds her about an hour and a half later.

"You won't believe what I saw this seagull doing on the beach earlier," he begins immediately as he poofs in. When Reggie gets super excited about something he tends to get lost in his own head and not notice everything around him yet. This includes a sniffling Julie, but when he does his face morphs from one of childish giddiness to concern. "Oh my god, are you okay? I'm so sorry." He seems like he's going to go fiddle with his flannel that's usually tied around his waist, a nervous habit of his, and then he seems to notice he doesn't have it on him. If he notices Julie is wearing it he doesn't comment, seemingly too preoccupied with her well-being.

Julie chuckles a bit at his concerned puppy look. "I'm fine," she reassures him, only lying somewhat. "Just kinda wanted to cry today." Reggie doesn't seem to particularly buy it, but he doesn't press.

"Well," he begins, "I don't really want you to cry. Do you, um, do you want me to sit with you?" He looks afraid, Julie notices. Like he's worried she doesn't want him there and that she'll turn him down. In all honesty, she might've. She tends to prefer to wallow alone, but he looks so nervous that it melts her heart a bit, and she realizes that she's literally wearing the boy's flannel, he himself might bring her even more comfort than it does.

"Yeah Reg, I'd love that." At this, he gives her a bright smile and kicks his shoes off as he climbs next to her on the bed. She notices the small gesture and almost cries at how sweet it is that he remembered to, considering she'd told the guys she didn't like it when they messed up her bed. When he settles next to her she rests her head on his shoulder and he grabs onto the flannel she's still cuddled into. "You can have it back if you want," and she begins to sit up to take it off and give it to him, but he pushes her back down.

"Keep it," he says, but quickly adds "for now" to the end and the two of them dissolve into a fit of giggles. So the two of them stay like that on Julie's bed for the next couple of hours just watching movies and crying, and Julie wonders if this is what Carlos feels like when she hangs out with him.

**3\. Nick**

Nick is not going crazy. He assures himself that as he sees the third member of Julie's hologram band in the cafeteria of the school they don't go to in the country they don't live in. Sure, he's had a pretty bad couple of weeks where he's felt completely drowned within the darkness of his own mind and said the most despicable things to people but _he is not going crazy._ Or at least he thinks so, but then the dark-haired boy looks him in the eyes and _smiles_ and Nick runs.

Someone unknown where they shouldn't be smiling at him, that's how it starts. Nick feels like he's drowning again, but this time there's no one else in his head to take control and so he's just stumbling almost blindly just _away._ Somehow he finds himself sinking to the ground in a janitor's closet and he forgot to turn the lights on so the darkness is suffocating him. He barely registers the slight smell of the cleaning supplies around him, the wetness of tears on his cheeks or his breathes barely coming out, quick and short. Nick most certainly doesn't register the faint call of his name that's in actuality right next to his ear. The only thing that brings him out of his stupor is a heavy and cold weight being placed on his shaking shoulders. He goes to grab at it and finds it to be a leather jacket. He remembers the boy from earlier wearing one and he's about to spiral even deeper into his own head until the boy he's just noticed is in the room with him speaks.

He puts his hands up next to his head like he surrendering and says, "Woah, I'm not going to hurt you buddy."

Nick gulps and is honestly more confused than panicked at this point. "Who are you?" he manages to choke out when he finds his voice.

The boy flails his arms for a second. "Right, introductions," Nick finds his jerky movements somewhat calming. "Reggie, I'm Reggie," the boy, Reggie, says quickly and juts out his hand as almost for a handshake before he seems to remember Nick's current state and decides against it.

"How are you here?" Nick hopes Reggie understands what he's asking, essentially how he can be here and give Nick his jacket is he's a hologram because Nick really cannot get any of the right words out.

Reggie scrunched up his face in thought. "That's kinda tough to explain, do you mind asking Julie later? I just wanna make sure you're okay right now." Reggie looks sheepish, embarrassed, almost as if he doesn't trust himself to properly explain the situation, and for some reason, Nick's fried brain finds this the funniest thing ever. He breaks out into hysterics and his stomach hurts from laughing so much when he looks up again and notices Reggie's utterly lost face he almost loses it again. "So are you good?"

Nick smiles at Reggie, his first real smile in a long time, "Not at all."

When Nick heads over to Julie's house after school to ask her about the whole odd interaction, he realizes he's still wearing the leather jacket and decides that he'll probably see Reggie there and he'll be terribly embarrassed when Nick tries to give it back to him. He smiles and finally understands the utter joy his little sister gets out of being an absolute menace to him in particular.

**+1. Reggie**

Reggie was a typically happy-go-lucky person. The keyword here is "typically". See, usually, Reggie was all smiles and Flynn would like to often say that he didn't have enough brain cells to be mean, but right now Reggie was very much Upset. He can't quite put his finger on what set him off, but he wakes up from a sleep he doesn't need in the middle of the night and everything just feels Wrong in some way. His skin is itching including his scalp, and even though he knows it's all in his head he goes to tug on his hair almost as if he's trying to rip it out like that would help. His typically grounding and comforting clothes don't feel comfortable and soft on his skin, instead, they feel like they're infested with bugs. As he's scratching at his whole body, Reggie looks at his sleeping bandmates around him and the darkness outside the window and deduces that it's probably too early to be up and thus too early to make any noise. Reggie doesn't know what he wants if he wants to whimper or scream, but he wants to be loud, prove to himself that he's still there. He won't though. He's had practice. His parents never liked it when he was loud in the middle of the night so he'd learned to get out his energy in different ways. Reggie was shaking and breathing heavily and because his hands were still preoccupied with scratching at himself he started bouncing his leg furiously. He'd much rather be moving his hands around, shaking them, or flapping them, but he needs the momentary relief that comes from the itching. The itching isn't enough though, so he begins to lightly pat himself all over his body as if trying to kill the imaginary bugs. He has no clue why it's so bad this time, what's wrong.

Reggie figures he probably makes some sort of noise at some point because not long after this whole ordeal has started Alex begins to rouse. He was always the lightest of sleepers among them and just the person Reggie was afraid of waking up. His bandmate deserved the peace of sleep as a respite from his usual stress of life (afterlife?). 

"Who's making noise?" he groans as he wakes up, and Reggie looks towards Luke in a panic hoping Alex hadn't woken him up. He'd hate to be the reason for disturbing both his best friends. Alex seems to notice Reggie's frantic state and scoots closer to him with concern in his eyes. "Hey man, what's wrong." Alex looks so sincere and Reggie wants to cry because _he doesn't know_ and he can't answer. Alex puts his hands over Reggie's stopping them from doing anything else. Thankfully, he lets Reggie keep bouncing his leg because he knows Reggie needs that. Unfortunately, however, Reggie whimpers when his hands stop because he can no longer try to quell the itch and it feels like it's getting worse. Not only is this reaction deeply embarrassing, but Reggie is still afraid of waking Luke. But it seems he's too late because now he sees Luke starting to stir. 

Luke seems to gauge the situation pretty quickly as it had happened before and quickly comes over to where the other two boys are. Luke does not try to touch Reggie, but Alex still grips his hands and his leg feels like it was going to fall off with how fast he was shaking it. "Hey Reggie, can you talk man?" Luke asks tone gentle. Reggie's not sure. If he can it's not going to be a lot.

A strained, "bugs" is all he can seem to muster, but the other two boys understand. Bugs aren't necessarily common, but they aren't new either.

Luke and Alex share a look. It seems they've decided Luke is going to talk. "Ok buddy, do you wanna keep your flannel on?" he asks. This was always an important question as sometimes it could comfort him easily but sometimes it is the source of his panic. Today it's the latter so Reggie violently shakes his head no. At this Alex lets go of his hands but before Reggie can resume any form of scratching Alex pushes the flannel off of his shoulders. Reggie immediately feels better as he can now see there are absolutely no bugs on his arms. The relief is only momentary though, as suddenly the itching of his hair feels like a burn and suddenly all his mind can think is that there were bugs, but they just migrated to his head so he wouldn't see them. Logically, he knows this isn't true, but he can't help it and now without his flannel his hands have nowhere to land for purchase and all he wants is to _scratch_. Luke and Alex clearly see his hands shaking and flapping and seem to be trying to come up with another easy to answer question.

"What do you want buddy?" Alex asks looking him in the eye. Reggie liked when he did that, it didn't make him feel stupid. With the burning of his head, Reggie can't really focus on moving his mouth to form words so he just tugs on Alex's sweatshirt and Luke's coat with either hand. He doesn't quite know what he's trying to say himself but Luke seems to have an epiphany and poofs away for a second. When he poofs back he's holding Alex's pink champion hoodie that he's not currently wearing and his own big red flannel. Reggie almost chuckles to himself upon spotting it because it has been dubbed "Luke's Sad Flannel" as it is typically the flannel he wears when he's planning on crying, but the laugh comes out as hollow and sad. 

Luke walks towards him and taps his arms lightly. Confused, Reggie lifts them up and Luke quickly shoves Alex's hoodie down over his head. It's so sudden and messes up his hair in a strange way that Alex lets out a small burst of laughter. Reggie tries to scowl at him, a joke that would start Alex's usual good-faith bullying of him, but he's just so _tired_ that he can't manage anything that would convey any certain emotion. The hoodie is comfortable though, and Reggie knows it's clean so he's not worried about any bugs that may be hiding in it. Luke then wraps his own flannel around Reggie and the bassist grips the fabric like a lifeline. He's exhausted and his head still burns but Reggie isn't as panicked anymore. He won't be able to sleep the rest of the night, he knows that but surrounded by his brothers it doesn't seem as bad. It's here, bundled in his bandmates' clothes that Reggie understands. He understands why he wanted a younger sibling so badly growing up because if he could make someone feel like this he'd feel so proud of himself for all of eternity.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, this was genuinely very fun to write, I hope you enjoyed it.


End file.
